He made no comment as the more experienced wizard carefully drew a five-foot circle, then added a pentagram, all the while muttering in Infernal. “Get in the center and don’t forget the contract.”
He grabbed the paper and stepped into the middle of the pentagram. “What now?”
“Sit down—careful not to touch the lines—and let me finish the circle. When it’s complete I’ll teach you the words to the transference spell.”
She spent the next hour drawing runes in all the empty spaces around the center of the pentagram. Finally she lit the candles and slumped into a chair. “Done.”
“What about the chalice? It’s empty.”
“It’s only there for symbolic purposes. Now repeat after me.”
“Wait! How do I end the spell?”
“The spell ends when you’ve completed the contract.”
“And if I don’t complete it?” Conryu wished he’d skipped lunch.
“Then you’ll be trapped between earth and Hell until you do.”
“You didn’t think to mention that before we began?”
“Would it have mattered?”
Conryu pictured Maria flinching back from him when she touched his hand. “No, I suppose not. Alright, let’s hear it.”
“Through death’s black gate my soul travels to the edge of darkness, Hell Portal!” She spoke the spell using precise enunciation and emphasis. “Clear?”
“Once more please. Hey, how come when you cast the spell nothing happens?”
“I’m going to tell you something, one of the secrets of magic. The words and gestures, they only serve to focus and direct the magic. What really makes it work is your will. That’s why, when you were near death, you managed to call Cerberus to protect you even though you didn’t know the spell. If you have sufficient will, nothing else is truly necessary. Now pay attention.”
She cast the spell again and when she finished Conryu nodded. “I’m ready.”
He settled himself and repeated the spell. With each word the darkness around him deepened. By the third word he saw nothing but black in every direction; even the candles vanished. He spoke the final word and it felt like he was rushing through space though he never moved.
When the sensation of movement ended he looked around. Nothing but black and more black. No up, no down, no nothing. He straightened his legs though it didn’t feel like he stood up. In fact he couldn’t feel much of anything. What a wretched place. If this was the border of Hell what was the dimension itself like?
Mrs. Umbra hadn’t mentioned how he was supposed to attract Cerberus’s attention. He assumed the demon dog would simply sense the brand and come… running? Flying? However you moved around in this void.
No sooner had he thought it than he spotted movement in the distance, not that distance meant much with nothing to use as a point of reference. Whatever was out there gradually grew bigger until it resolved into a female figure in a red-and-black dress that left little to the imagination.
The Dark Lady. Terrific.
Where was that dog when he needed it? “Come on, Cerberus, hurry up.”
He sensed something moving behind him a moment before a rough tongue licked his cheek. A second tongue licked his other cheek. Thank goodness. Maybe they could get this done before she got too close.
There was a dull thump followed by a whine as Cerberus went flying off into the darkness. A massive figure moved to stand in front of Conryu. Muscles rippled beneath red skin and only a loincloth hid his nakedness. Conryu stared up into the cruel, handsome face of Lucifer and tried to ignore the giant black trident the demon carried in his right hand.
“Come to make a bargain with me, mortal?” Lucifer’s deep, booming voice seemed to fill up the space around them, somehow echoing though there were no walls or canyons.
“Of course he hasn’t, Luci.” The Dark Lady flew up beside Lucifer’s left shoulder, wrapped her arms around his bicep and smushed her boobs against him. She looked down at Conryu. “He’s come to make one with me.”
“Actually—”
“Don’t be absurd, woman. All mortal wizards want power, and no one is more powerful than me.”
“Hmmm,” The Dark Lady purred. “Shall I tell Lord Beelzebub that?”
“The lord of flies doesn’t frighten me.” Lucifer’s boast sounded a little brittle to Conryu, but he didn’t think it prudent to say so.
“Of course not.” The Dark Lady kneaded his deltoid with her slender fingers. “The Prince of Lies fears no one. Still, I’m sure this boy would prefer to make a pact with me. All the boys want to make a pact with me.”
She flew down and hovered in front of Conryu. Her presence was overwhelming. Even knowing it was magic, it took every scrap of his willpower not to rip her flimsy dress off right there. Her tail snaked around his leg, the nimble tip rubbing his thigh inches from his groin.
“You know you want me, mortal. Why the hesitation? With my power at your disposal every woman you’ve ever wanted, Maria Kane, Heather James, and anyone else will throw themselves at your feet.”
Lucifer snatched her out of the air, his huge hand engulfing The Dark Lady from her ankles to her chest. “This mortal is mine, harlot. Be gone before I destroy you.”
While they argued Conryu spotted Cerberus slinking closer, staying well out of Lucifer’s sight.
Good boy.
If Lucifer and The Dark Lady stayed focused on each other for a little longer, maybe he could complete the contract with Cerberus and escape.
“You might destroy me.” The Dark Lady’s voice dripped venom. “Maybe. But I’ll hurt you enough that your enemies will tear you apart the moment you return to Hell.”
Lucifer cocked his arm like he wanted to throw her away, but she dug her nails into his arm and held on like a lioness riding a wildebeest. Conryu motioned Cerberus over and unrolled the contract to let the demon dog read it.
Cerberus watched Lucifer with two of his heads and trotted quickly over. He studied the contract while Conryu risked a glance up at the more powerful demons. Lucifer and The Dark Lady were clawing and hissing at each other like a pair of angry cats. She had the advantage in speed now that she’d somehow broken his grip, but it appeared she could only scratch his skin.
The paper in his hand shifted when Cerberus touched it with his nose. Power flared and a tendril of energy shot from Conryu’s chest, connecting him to Cerberus.
“No!” Lucifer screamed and thrust his trident at them.
Conryu shut his eyes and prepared to die.
When he opened them he found he was once more in the dark magic classroom with no trident through his chest. He leaned back and sighed.
He’d done it.
Strange that he didn’t feel any different. All around him the magic circle was evaporating along with the last of the magic.
Mrs. Umbra was dozing in her chair, the Death Stick resting across her lap. The candles had burned down to nubs and gone out. Conryu stood up and stretched stiff muscles. How long had he been gone? He looked around, but of course there was no clock. He shook his head. It was a wonder anyone arrived anywhere at the right time.
“Mrs. Umbra.”
His teacher snorted in her sleep and sat up. “Oh, you’re still alive. Excellent.” She muttered a spell and narrowed her eyes. “The connection is complete. I trust you had no difficulties.”
“Lucifer and The Dark Lady showed up at about the same time as Cerberus, but other than that it went fine.”
She stared at him. “Both of them were there yet you still made the contract with Cerberus? How?”
“Actually it was lucky they were both there. They were so busy fighting with each other that we had time to make our pact. Lucifer nearly ran me through at the end, but the spell concluded before his trident reached me. Strange, Cerberus vanished at the same time.”
“Of course he did. The demon dog is right beside you, slightly out of phase. He couldn’t very well block the other demons if he was too far away.”
Con
ryu spun around, but there was no sign of the giant beast. “I don’t see him.”
“I told you he’s out of phase, on the other side of the barrier that separates our reality from the six magical realms. He’s close enough that he’ll be able to watch everything around you, but not so close that he can influence our reality. On the plus side, when you finally learn a summoning spell he’ll be quick to respond. That speed may one day save your life.”
Conryu yawned. “So when’s our next class?”
“Monday. I need time to recover from the ritual.”
She needed time to recover? He was the one that almost got run through by the devil.
6
Back at Home
Orin held his phone in one hand and rubbed the bridge of his nose with the other. He’d been in his office for two hours already and it was only eight in the morning. For the past ten minutes Angus had been complaining that Conryu wouldn’t tell him every little detail of his life at school and how was he supposed to write his new book if the subject wouldn’t cooperate and couldn’t Orin do something about it.
In fact Orin didn’t think there was anything he could do about it. Conryu had a mind of his own and if he didn’t want to talk to Angus there was nothing to be done. At least he was stopping in every week to check for any new information. So far Orin hadn’t had any reason to use Angus to ferry a message as he had nothing to tell the boy. Lin and Terra had both hit dead ends in their investigation.
As far as sending information the other way, Dean Blane was an old acquaintance of Orin’s and she kept him well informed of events at the school. When he finally had to tell Connie about the attempt on Conryu’s life she hadn’t taken it well.
And by not well he meant she had demanded Conryu be returned home immediately. That wasn’t possible for a number of reasons, not the least being the law. He suspected Sho was upset as well, but the grandmaster didn’t show his emotions quite as readily as his wife. Still, he was glad Conryu’s father hadn’t done anything rash.
It was with considerable relief that Emily had informed him Conryu was studying with Angeline Umbra. If anyone possessed the skill needed to teach him how best to protect himself it was that formidable woman.
“Angus, take a breath.” When the professor finally fell silent Orin continued. “I know you want Conryu to spend more time talking to you, but if he doesn’t want to have a book written about his life that’s his choice. You have to respect it.”
He held the receiver away from his ear when Angus started shouting about posterity. The door to his office opened and Terra stepped inside. He waved her to a chair.
“Angus. Angus! I have to go. Just do your best. Yes, I’ll talk to him over winter break. Goodbye.” Orin slammed the receiver down a little harder than strictly necessary.
“Conryu still giving the good professor fits?” Terra grinned like the idea amused her no end. And why shouldn’t it? It wasn’t like she had to deal with Angus when he called to complain every week.
Orin nodded and thumped his head on the desk. “What does he expect me to do, order Conryu to talk to him? I thought I was doing good just convincing him to check in once a week.”
“Angus wouldn’t be satisfied if Conryu let him follow his every move every second of every day. Though if he did maybe Angus would get caught in the crossfire the next time someone tries to kill the boy.”
“Not funny, Terra. I thought Connie was going to strangle me when I told her about the attack. Please tell me you have some good news.”
“I’m not sure how good it is, but I do have some news. I finally figured out, at least in part, what the object contained in the box was supposed to do.”
“I’m listening.”
“It’s a portal spell keyed to the netherworld. This one was modified and a binding added so the shadow hounds that came through would focus on Conryu. That magic was much newer than the actual portal spell. The magic also looks incomplete, but I can’t get any more detail until I open the box.”
“Then open the blasted thing. What are you waiting for?”
“I’m not waiting for anything. I tried opening it. Clair tried opening it. Then we tried opening it together. We even tried getting the backup tester to lend a hand. None of us is strong enough to break the seal.”
The first twinge of a headache was building behind Orin’s eyes. “Plain English, Terra. What do you need?”
“A dark-aligned wizard powerful enough to break the ward. Can you contact Central and ask them to send someone as soon as possible?”
“Will do.” He jotted a note on a pad on his desk. “What about Lin? Has he made any progress figuring out where the other boxes are hidden?”
“Not so far, though it isn’t for lack of trying. The information is just too vague. It could describe any one of a thousand places in the city. If I can figure out the magic, our theory is it will give us a clue that will unlock the seemingly random information in the packet.”
“How likely is that?”
Terra shrugged. “It’s all we have to go on.”
“Alright, thanks. Anything else?”
Terra shook her head and left the office. When the door closed he picked up his phone again. The sooner he contacted Central the sooner they could put someone on the train out here.
After eight rings one of the secretaries at the Department Headquarters in Central picked up. “Could you transfer me to the dark magic department?” Orin asked when the woman finished her greeting.
The line went silent for a few seconds before a deep, but still female voice said, “Dark magic.”
“This is Orin Kane, chief of the Sentinel City office. I need a high-level dark magic user sent out as soon as possible for an emergency breaking.”
“Join the club.”
“Excuse me?”
“I don’t know if you’ve heard, Chief, but there’s a major offensive going on at the Sector Eight border. At least a hundred frost giants have come south and every dark magic user we can spare is up there to negate their ice magic. I don’t know what your emergency is, but I doubt it outweighs a hundred frost giants.”
“Now look—”
“Sorry, Chief. I’ll put you on the list, but I wouldn’t count on any help from us until April at the earliest and most likely not before July.”
“July?” Orin shouted into the receiver, but the line was dead.
7
The Golem Club
Conryu was beyond grateful that his first class didn’t start until nine. After the ritual the afternoon before all he’d wanted to do was sleep. So it was with some annoyance that a dull thud on his door roused him far earlier than he would have preferred. He groaned, sat up, and reached for his phone to check the time.
“Goddamn no technology rule,” he muttered for the thousandth time.
He rolled out of bed, threw on his robe, and shuffled over to the door. Outside, the tall wizard from the golem club loomed over him. Hiding behind her was the short blond. He squinted at them in the light from the hall. “Yeah?”
The giant pushed the little one in front of her. “Go on.”
The blond twisted her red robe in her hands and stared at the floor. “You were right about the struts.”
She spoke so softly he barely heard her. “What?”
She glared up at him. “The struts on Blinky 2.0, you were right, they worked much better when we set them to forty-five degrees. He’s way more stable now.”
“Great.” Conryu looked from the little one to the big one. “Was there something else?”
“Ask him.” The giant gave her friend a nudge.
“I’m working up to it.” The blond cleared her throat. “Would you like to join our club? You seem to have some practical knowledge that would be useful to us.”
“And?” the giant prompted.
“And I felt bad about yelling at you the other day.” She looked back and up at her friend. “Satisfied?”
The giant smiled, but didn’t comment.
>
Conryu was all sorts of confused, beyond still being half asleep. “You know if I join your group the other girls will probably hate you, right?”
“We’re not terribly popular anyway, as you may have guessed from our location at the fair,” the blond said.
“Why? You all seem like… interesting girls.”
“Blinky 1.0 went berserk last spring and ruined the cooking club’s annual tea party. It’s the most popular event of the year.” The giant looked down at the fire wizard and shook her head. “It was not my fault. I didn’t intentionally mess up the binding just because they didn’t invite us to their stupid party.”
The big girl gave Conryu a knowing wink. Lucky for them her friend didn’t seem to notice.
“So what do you say?” the blond asked. “Want to join up?”
It would be nice to build things again. He’d missed working with his hands in the garage, seeing the bits and pieces of an engine come together into a proper piece of machinery. He didn’t know much about golems, but how different could they be?
“Sure, thanks. When do you meet?”
“Sundays, ten until noon. The dean let us convert a storage shed into a workshop about a hundred yards east of the campus. New members always bring the snacks.”
The giant cleared her throat prompting the smaller one to sigh. “We rotate every week.”
“I’ll get this week’s.” Conryu said. “What does everyone like? By the way, what are your names? I can’t keep thinking of you as the tall one and the short one.”
The tall one laughed and the short one scowled. “I am not that short. Sonja Chard.” She thrust her hand at Conryu who gave it a polite shake.
He looked up and raised an eyebrow.
“Crystal Conrad.” He shook Crystal’s hand. “Chips or chocolate would be best for snacks.”
“We’ll see you Sunday.” Sonja stalked up the hall. Crystal shrugged as if to say what can you do.
“Does she have a favorite?” Conryu asked. Sonja looked a little tightly wound and he hoped she’d relax if he brought her something special.
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